Never Let Go
by Karafil
Summary: Before Titanic, there was a...well...a...ok, can't think of a good summary! So please just read and review! Jack/Rose Rated K cos there's really nothing bad in here! Slight romance and DEFINITE hurt/comfort! one-shot


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the **_**Titanic**_** characters. This fanfic is for the movie, not the actual event (cause that would just be horrible).**

**A/N: Enjoy!**

**Ages (Yeah I know they don't actually match up to the ones in the movies, but…):**

**Rose: 14**

**Jack: 15**

Rose DeWitt Bukater wandered through the lush garden on the estate. She was bored out of her mind, she had been forbidden to ride her horse, leave the estate, and pretty much do anything else interesting. Rose had been confined to the garden so that her mother could watch her from the veranda. The only cheering part of this imprisonment was that her mother didn't realize that if Rose was in the farthest corner of the garden, then Rose was virtually invisible.

Ruth DeWitt Bukater was more focused on sipping tea and chatting with the Countess of Roths than watching her daughter, as Rose ran down to the corner by the wild roses and the weeping willow. She loved to sit down there to escape her mother's hawkish watch. When Rose got down there, she was surprised to see that someone was already down there. Through the willow's branches Rose could see someone lying on the ground.

"Ummm…hello?" called out Rose, stepping tentatively up to the tree, "is, um, anyone there?"

There was no answer as Rose pushed the willow fronds aside and stepped through. She gasped, seeing a boy dart through the other side.

"Wait! Stop!" she cried, gathering up her skirts and running after him. The two ran through the sparse woods for a good ten minutes until the boy finally stopped and turned around.

"What do you want?" he asked, his dirty face streaked with tears.

"Excuse me?!" Rose replied, shocked, "What do _I_ want?!"

The boy just shook his head, bemused and started to walk away.

"Wait a minute! Who are you?!" Rose cried.

"Jack. Jack Dawson."

"I'm Rose."

"Great. I don't give a shit" Jack turned away again. Rose stared at him in shock.

"You-you are so _infuriating_!" she said, her green eyes wide with shock at the fact that his rude boy had just cursed at her, "you are rude, unmannered, uncouth, and-and-and"

Jack smirked slightly, but Rose noticed that he was looking really tired.

"Would you like to hear what I have to say about you?"

"NO!" she almost screamed at him. Jack just laughed weakly.

"So, why are you here? I've never seen you before" she asked.

Jack rubbed his face with the back of his hand. He was looking really, really tired, thought Rose as she glared at him.

"Look," he snapped, "I really don't have time for this. Someone's gonna come down here and find you and me."

"They're all up at the house, no one's going to be looking for me for _hours_. Trust me, I know." Rose stared concernedly at Jack, he was pale and starting to sway on his feet.

"Jack? Are you alright?" she asked.

"'M fine. Just tired" Jack put his hand out to try and steady himself. Rose put her hand on his sleeve, "come with me."

Jack stumbled forward, leaning against Rose who instinctively recoiled.

"R-R-Rose. I-I-I think I need to-" whatever Jack had been about to say was abruptly cut off as he collapsed, slumping on the ground. Rose screamed, as the boy who had been upright next to her only seconds ago, was now limp in the dead leaves.

Up on the veranda, Ruth DeWitt Bukater heard her daughter's screams. The Countess of Roths looked up, startled.

"Goodness, what was that?" she asked.

Ruth's lips flattened into a thin white line.

"Trudy!" she called, lightly setting her delicate teacup on it's gold-rimmed saucer.

"Yes ma'am?" Trudy bobbed slight curtsies to the mistress and the Countess.

"Go see what Rose is doing please."

"Yes ma'am" Trudy knew exactly where she would find Rose: the same place she always found her.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

"Miss Rose? Miss Rose!" Trudy called. She honestly hated having to trek down to the farthest yet sunniest part of the garden.

"Trudy? Trudy!" Rose cried, looking up from where she knelt. She had spread her jacket over him, and had been sitting there trying to wake him up.

"Oh thank goodness! Miss Rose!" Trudy gasped, when she saw where Rose was.

"And who is that?" she asked sharply.

"Trudy please, please, please get Henry. Please! He'll know what to do."

Trudy could only nod. Ten minutes later Henry, the head stable groom was kneeling next to Jack while Rose stood off to the side, in Trudy's arms.

"Well, he got a fever. Prob'ly come down with somethin'. I'll take him back to my place. Just say he's my cousin."

"I'll come with you" said Rose.

"Miss Rose!" exclaimed Trudy, looking shocked.

"Oh please Trudy, mother won't be looking for me for hours. Remember, she has the charity meeting and then the dinner after that?" Rose said.

Trudy sighed.

"Aaannndd she's not going to come down here, so tell her I threw a tantrum" Rose continued happily.

Henry picked up Jack's limp form and started to carry him to his cottage. Rose followed the two of them quickly.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Henry lay Jack down carefully on the overstuffed sofa. Jack's head lolled loosely on the sofa pillow as his eyes fluttered feverishly. Rose pulled up a chair next to him.

"Well, make yourself at home" Henry said, smiling slightly. He knew Rose didn't treat him with the same scorn she used with most of the servants. Henry opened a trunk and pulled out a thick blanket, carefully folding it over Jack's body. He laid a cold, damp cloth on Jack's burning forehead.

"What is it? Is he alright?" asked Rose worriedly.

"Remind me again. How long have you known this kid?" asked Henry as he watched Rose smooth back Jack's sweaty hair.

"Remind _me_ again. How long did you know Trudy before you fell in love with her?" asked Rose, struggling to hide a smirk.

Henry just shook his head, knowing he was one of the few people who knew and saw Rose's wilder and more rebellious side. Both their attentions turned to Jack when he started to cough, his eyes fluttering open. Henry slid an arm behind Jack, helping him to sit up.

"Rose?" whimpered Jack.

"_Really_? How long have you _actually_ known each other?" Henry asked as he heard what Jack had said. Rose wiped Jack's face, looking in earnest up at Henry.

"It was only today we met. I swear."

Henry nodded, sighing. There was a sudden knock on the door, which made Jack, Henry, and Rose stiffen.

"Rose! Hide, get in the closet-" Henry's quick instructions were interrupted by "its just me. Trudy."

Henry unlocked the door and let Trudy in. She came in, "Miss Rose, your mother isn't going to the charity dinner. She's looking for you!"

Rose looked pleadingly at Henry who made a shooing motion. "Go. Jack's gonna be fine."

Rose looked back as she let herself be pulled towards the door by an anxious Trudy.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Rose tossed in her bed, her green eyes wide open, unable to get any sleep. She rolled over looking at the clock on her bedside table. It was 11 P.M. Much too early to get up and she knew there was no possibility she was going to fall asleep. Rose swung herself out of bed and pulled on her dress. She didn't even bother with a corset, knowing she couldn't lace it up by herself. Rose rummaged through her closet looking for the black cloak she had used for the masquerade party last year. Holding it up she swung it round her shoulders, pulling the hood over her head. Rose slid a leg over her windowsill, gripped the woodwork with one hand and slid down the side of the house, stifling a cry when she landed on the ground. Rose took one look around to make certain that no one heard her and started running towards Henry's cottage. She could see there was a light on.

"What are you doing?!" asked Henry, sounding slightly angry, when he opened the door. Rose didn't answer, but only pushed past him to see Jack.

"How is he?" she asked, one hand resting on his forehead.

"He was delirious a few minutes ago" replied Henry, watching with some amusement at the fact that aristocratic Rose was being so tender towards a lower class boy she barely knew.

Rose felt a lump in her throat and swallowed hard. Henry came over with a brown, slightly discolored bottle and a spoon.

"What is _that_?" Rose stared at the bottle in morbid fascination.

"Medicine" replied Henry, hiding a smile at Rose's response of "can't that kill you?!"

Henry said "sit behind him and hold him up. I need him to swallow this."

Rose gingerly slid behind Jack, pushing him up, her shoulder instinctively hunching up to support Jack's lolling head. Henry had forced Jack's mouth open and trickled the medicine in. Half of the liquid spilled out and onto the boy's shirt. Rose wrinkled her nose as Henry gently wiped the medicine off.

"Looks like he got a full dose" Henry said.

"Yes, and all over himself" Rose replied, taking a rag from Henry and wiping away liquid from Jack's cheek. Together Henry and Rose lad Jack back down.

"You wanna get some sleep?" Henry asked, "I'll get some more blankets."

Rose nodded numbly, unable to take her eyes from Jack. She accepted the pile of blankets and pillows from Henry and curled up on the floor.

Sometime around 2 A.M. Rose and Henry both woke up to Jack's screams. Rose scrambled out of her pile of blankets just as Henry came running from his bedroom. Henry held Jack's thrashing body down, while Rose tried to wake him, to no avail.

"Jack! Jack, please! Calm down!" Rose jerked back as Jack sat bolt upright, grasping Henry, his eyes wide.

"Rose, get some rags and heat up more water" ordered Henry, as he held a shivering Jack to his chest. As Rose left, Jack turned a pale shade of green, and Henry shoved a bowl under Jack's face as the boy retched.

Rose came back in "here's rags, and the water-" she broke off, staring in horror at Jack, who was currently dry heaving.

"Oh my God! What did you do to him?" she screamed.

"Whoa easy, easy!" Henry said, keeping a hand on Jack's back. Rose glared at him, sliding an arm around Jack's back. Jack raised his head, still weakly gagging.

"Rose? Rose? Rose, please…" Jack moaned as Henry lowered him back onto the bed.

As he stood up, Henry was shocked to see that Rose had tears in her eyes as she watched Jack, who was now sleeping.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Jack woke up with a groan. His eyes felt like they were filled with sand and his mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

"R-Rose?" he tried, wishing his voice didn't sound as weak as he knew it did.

"Shhh…you're fine" was all he heard as a girl's face floated into view. He recognized her as the girl, Rose…Rose something-or-other. She really was pretty, all that gorgeous red hair, those emerald green eyes…he lifted his head tiredly, looking around the room he was in.

"Crap…" muttered Jack, everything coming back to him, and to make everything worse his headache was getting more painful.

"Wait" Jack murmured, his eyes starting to slip shut.

"Shhh, just fall asleep" said Rose, pushing sweaty bangs off Jack's face.

"Wait, just promise me. Stay here. Hold my hand, please d-d-don't let go" Jack whispered, already half asleep.

He was awake enough to hear Rose whisper "I'll never let go. I promise."

_**1.5 years later**_

"I gotta go. It's my time" said Jack, a half smile curving his lips.

"Jack, must you go?" Rose asked sadly, placing her delicate, porcelain hand in Jack's strong, tan one.

"I'll see you soon. And Rose? Remember, never let go!" that was the last Rose saw of him for another three years, before the Titanic.

**A/N: yay! My first one-shot! Hope you guys enjoy! Please don't forget to review!**


End file.
